Whittier Christian’s boys volleyball team will have to rediscover the form it had in tournament play last weekend, and not its performance Tuesday against Herritage Christian, when the Heralds host Valley Christian next week in Olympic League play.
A 3-3 effort against strong competition at the St. John Bosco-Valley Christian Tournament last weekend had coach Chris Duran feeling confident. The Heralds took second in their pool, losing only to eventual tournament finalist Aliso Niguel, before playing well against Long Beach Poly (No. 9 CIF-SS Division 2) in a 2-0 loss.
Whittier Christian added a victory vs. San Marino before losing to Cypress, and Duran was impressed with the fight his team showed.
“We didn’t back down, and that’s what a coach wants to see,” he said.
Senior outside hitter Danny Mueller and senior setter Austin Tafoya each played well.
In Tuesday’s league match at Heritage Christian, however, the Heralds lacked the same precision. Whittier Christian won the first game, playing only “all right,” according to Duran, but lost the next three.
“We could not execute,” he said.
The loss dropped the Heralds to 1-1 in the Olympic League, where they trail both Heritage Christian (2-0, No. 3 Division 3) and Village Christian (2-1). On Tuesday, they’ll host Valley Christian (1-2).
“That’s always a big game for us,” said Duran. “We’re excited to have them come in, and we’ll bounce back and get a victory, hopefully.”